Ta-Nehisi Coates on Why Whites Like His Writing – The Daily Beast

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I was naive to think that my whiteness and privilege would inoculate my marriage from racism. Instead, I must now also be aware of what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “the violence against the black body” and be hyper-vigilant to secure our safety. It has changed my values and outlook on life. Today I’m sad because the reality is finally dawning on me on the similar but separate spheres that are literally black and white. This sadness is a privilege also since I can choose which sphere to operate; for my husband this choice is not optional.

‘The history is what the history is. And it is disrespectful, to white people, to soften the history.’